The diversity of scholarship on journalism: how journalism journals reflect theories, methods, and topics of journalism research - a content analysis (2008-2009)

Over the course of time various changes in journalism created a diverse media landscape. Since generally journalism studies are closely linked to its object, this leads to the question whether the diversity of journalism is reflected by journalism studies. To answer this question, we conducted a content analysis of academic articles published in seven peer-reviewed English language journalism journals. In sum, the paper will lay open gaps and desiderata, draw conclusions and suggest possible improvements for future journalism studies in an emerging media landscape

¿Continuo ecléctico, disciplina distinta o subdominio de los estudios de comunicación?: Consideraciones teóricas y conclusiones empíricas a propósito de la disciplinariedad, multidisciplinariedad y transdisciplinariedad de los estudios de periodismo

ABSTRACT - Is journalism studies a sub-domain of communication studies, adistinct discipline, a multidisciplinary merger or a transdisciplinary endeavour? This question is discussed by analyzing the 2008 and2009 volumes of seven academic journals focusing on journalismresearch. The sample includes 349 articles published in BrazilianJournalism Research, Ecquid Novi, Journalism & CommunicationMonographs, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, PacificJournalism Review, Journalism Studies, or Journalism: Theory,Practice and Criticism. Overall, the findings reveal that journalismresearch mainly applies theoretical approaches and empiricalmethods deriving from other disciplines, particularly sociology, psychology or cultural studies. In many countries, however, journalism studies has reached a comparatively high level of institutionalization indicated by the large number of specific schools, professorships, professional associations and respective academic journals. In conclusion, we argue that journalism studies is a sub-domain of communication studies, which integrates andtranscends various disciplines aiming to become one of the axialsubjects of the 21st century.RESUMO - Os estudos de jornalismo são um subdomínio dos estudos decomunicação, uma disciplina distinta, uma fusão multidisciplinar ou uma tentativa transdisciplinar? Discute-se esta questão, neste artigo, através da análise dos volumes de 2008 e 2009 de sete publicações acadêmicas que focalizam a pesquisa em jornalismo. A amostra inclui 349 artigos publicados na Brazilian Journalism Research, Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, Journalism & Communication Monographs, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Pacific Journalism Review, Journalism Studies e Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism. De modo geral, as conclusões revelam que a pesquisa em jornalismo utiliza principalmente as abordagens teóricas e os métodos empíricos derivados de outras disciplinas, especialmente da sociologia, da psicologia e dos estudos culturais. Entretanto, em muitos países os estudos de jornalismo já alcançaram um nível comparativamente alto de institucionalização, indicado pelo grande número das escolas específicas, dos cargos de professor, das associações profissionais e das respectivas publicações acadêmicas. Concluímos por defender a tese de que os estudos de jornalismo são um subdomínio dos estudos de comunicação que integra e transcende várias disciplinas visando se tornar uma das matérias mais importantes do século XXI.RESUMEN - ¿Los estudios de periodismo son un subdominio de los estudios de comunicación, una disciplina distinta, una fusión multidisciplinaria o una tentativa transdisciplinaria? Se discute esta cuestión a través del análisis de los volúmenes de 2008 y 2009 de siete publicaciones académicas que focalizan la investigación en periodismo. La muestra incluye 349 artículos publicados en Brazilian Journalism Research, Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, Journalism & Communication Monographs, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Pacific Journalism Review, Journalism Studies, y Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism. De manera general, las conclusiones revelan que la investigación en periodismo utiliza principalmente enfoques teóricos y métodos empíricos derivados de otras disciplinas, en especial de la sociología, la psicología y los estudios culturales. Sin embargo, en muchos países los estudios de periodismo ya han alcanzado un nivel comparativamente alto de institucionalización, indicado por el gran número de escuelas específicas, cargos de profesor, asociaciones profesionales y publicaciones académicas. Como conclusión, defendemos la tesis de que los estudios de periodismo son un subdominio de los estudios de comunicación que integra y trasciende varias disciplinas con vistas a convertirse en una de las materias más importantes del siglo XXI

Careful approach: the relations of the German Bundeswehr to the media from the end of the cold war until today

Seit den 1990er Jahren ist eine zunehmende Öffnung der Bundeswehr gegenüber den Medien zu beobachten, die sich maßgeblich auf die wachsende Beteiligung deutscher Streitkräfte an Auslandseinsätzen und damit einher gehenden neuen kommunikativen Ansprüchen zurückführen lässt. Wurde die Medienarbeit in der ersten Hälfte der Neunziger Jahre noch durchgängig reaktiv betrieben, kam es in den Folgejahren zu einer aktiveren Gestaltung der militärischen Medienbeziehungen. Wie offen oder restriktiv die Medienbeziehungen im Einzelnen gestaltet werden, hängt jedoch von einem komplexen Faktorenbündel ab. Beispielweise prägen die unterschiedlichen Systemlogiken von Militär und Medien, die komplexen Organisationsstrukturen innerhalb der Bundeswehr oder das verfügbare Personal und dessen Qualifikationen die militärischen Medienbeziehungen.Since the 1990s, the German Bundeswehr increasingly opened up to the media. This can be mainly traced back to the growing number of out of area missions in conjunction with new communication needs. In the beginning of the 1990s, military media relations were generally conducted in a reactive manner, whereas they were actively shaped in the subsequent years. How open or restrictive media relations were conducted in detail is dependent upon a complex combination of factors. As such, military media relations are shaped for example by the different systems logics of the military and the media, by the complex organizational structures of the German armed forces or by the available personnel and its qualifications

Media Landscapes - Philippines

The Philippine media landscape is full of contradictions. On one hand, it joins the global trend of technological disruptions ushering changes in the media economy, profession, and consumption. On the other hand, persistent socio-economic inequalities and the urban/rural gap limit the potential of these disruption

Aggregation kinetics of human mesenchymal stem cells under wave motion

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a primary candidate in cell therapy and regenerative medicine to treat a wide range of diseases in clinical trials. Recent studies showed that hMSC have innate ability to self-assemble into three-dimensional (3D) aggregates that enhances their therapeutic functions with augmented multi-lineage differentiation potential, migration ability, secretion of anti-inflammatory and angiogenic factors, and resistance to ischemic conditions post-transplantation. To date, many laboratory methods have been developed for hMSC aggregation, including hanging drops, centrifugation with microfabricated surface, cell suspension on a low attachment surface, thermal lifting, and microfluidic technologies. However, these methods have limited scalability and/or poor control in aggregate size, and cannot meet the required production in clinical trials. The objective of current study is to investigate the conditions for the scalable production of hMSC aggregates in non-adherent plates under wave motion. The repeated back and forth wave motion induced by rocking provides mixing of bulk medium under low shear stress that facilitates cell-cell collisions and subsequent aggregation. Our results showed that aggregate size can be controlled by adjusting the combination of rocking angle (3˚, 6˚, and 9˚) and rocking speed (10, 15, and 20 rpm). To quantify the impact of fluid shear stress on aggregation kinetics, simulation of shear stress distribution by COMSOL Multiphysics® showed a time-dependent oscillatory function under different rocking condition. In addition, an inverse correlation between aggregate size and maximum shear stress was observed and that both can be regressed by a two-variable linear regression of rocking angle and rocking speed. In the regression, the coefficient of rocking angle is much higher than that of rocking speed, revealing that rocking angle has a more significant effect than rocking speed on both aggregate size and shear stress. In addition to fluid shear stress, the effects of cell binding molecules, the frequency of cell-cell collision, and the extension of cultivation time on aggregate size distribution were also investigated. Analysis of the therapeutic functional supported that hMSCs derived from engineered aggregates in the wave motion system have enhanced their therapeutic properties compared to those from monolayer culture

Optimierung der Risiko- und Krisenkommunikation von Regierungen, Behörden und Organisationen der Gesundheitssicherung – Herausforderungen in lang anhaltenden Krisen am Beispiel der COVID-19-Pandemie [Optimisation of risk and crisis communication of governments, authorities and public health institutions—challenges in long-lasting crises illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic]

Die COVID-19-Pandemie illustriert die besondere Bedeutung von Risiko- und Krisenkommunikation. Behörden und Politik stehen vor der Herausforderung, in einer dynamischen Lage mit einer Vielzahl von Daten umzugehen, diese zu überprüfen und zielgruppengerecht zu kommunizieren. Verständliche und eindeutige Informationen zu Risiken und Handlungsoptionen tragen maßgeblich zu einer Steigerung der objektiven und subjektiven Sicherheit der Bevölkerung bei. Es besteht daher ein großer Bedarf, die Erfahrungen aus der Pandemie in die Optimierung der Risiko- und Krisenkommunikation einfließen zu lassen. Die Digitalisierung ermöglicht multimodale Arrangements – also die Kombination aus Text, Abbildungen, Grafik, Icons und z. T. Bewegtbilder, Animationen und Ton. Diese spielen auch in der digitalen Risiko- und Krisenkommunikation eine zunehmend wichtigere Rolle. Von Interesse ist, inwiefern das kommunikative Zusammenspiel von Behörden, Medien und weiteren Öffentlichkeitsakteur/-innen in Vorbereitung auf und zur Bewältigung von Krisen angesichts einer komplexen Öffentlichkeit mit Hilfe zielgruppenspezifischer Kommunikation verbessert und wie Rechtssicherheit für die behördliche und mediale Praxis gewährleistet werden kann. Dementsprechend verfolgt der Beitrag 3 Ziele: 1. Er beschreibt die Herausforderungen, vor denen Behörden und mediale Akteur/-innen in der Pandemiekommunikation stehen. 2. Er zeigt, welche Rolle multimodale Arrangements spielen und welcher Forschungsperspektiven es bedarf, um die Komplexität des kommunikativen Krisenhandelns im föderalen System zu erfassen. 3. Er begründet, wie ein interdisziplinärer Forschungsverbund aus Medien‑, Kommunikations- und Rechtswissenschaft Erkenntnisse zum evidenzbasierten Einsatz multimodaler Kommunikation gewinnen kann